Promotion of Workplace Health and Safety Among Teen Workers in Georgia

This abstract proposes a presentation on the accomplishments of the Georgia Youth Alliance. The Alliance is an outreach initiative which brings together workplace safety expertise from OSHA, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Local sections of AIHA and ASSE, and the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia. This initiative is in response to OSHA having identified young workers as a vulnerable population at an increased risk of workplace injury and illness. To verify this, in 2005 and 2006, GTRI's OSHA Consultation Program provided a questionnaire to Georgia companies requesting information about their expectations and experiences when hiring young workers. Ninety-six percent of the 49 respondents said they believe teens would benefit from OSHA training before entry into the workforce. These results helped to promote the development of the Georgia Youth Alliance, a multifaceted program to encourage job-safety training among young workers. Over 4,500 students have been reached by the various activities of the Alliance including: training classes, safety surveys at schools, participation in career fairs, presentations at summer camps, participation at peer leadership conferences, and the development of outreach materials targeted to youth. Several hundred students attending metro-Atlanta high schools have obtained OSHA 10-hour training cards. This rigorous training focuses on workplace safety in construction and general industries. The Georgia Youth Alliance demonstrates that a locally focused youth outreach program not only benefits participating students by promoting job-safety awareness, but also provides local employers with a youthful workforce already trained in job safety principles.